Wings of Liberation
by EclipticPhantasm
Summary: Meet Estelle Rose, a girl whose life was turned upside down by the fall of Shiganshina. Joining the military without the knowledge of her childhood friends, Eren, Mikasa and Armin, she discovers a horrifying secret about herself and her past. Will she be able to save humanity, or will her past catch up to her?
1. Prologue

Prologue

~Estelle's POV~

_Bright lights. Shattering glass. Pain, blinding pain. People screaming. More pain. Then nothing._

I bolted up, my eyes scanning the surroundings frantically, relaxing when I found myself lying under a large oak tree, the peaceful and familiar scent of the grass soothing my senses. It was just a nightmare, I reassured myself, as I slowly stood up, shaking away the last remnants of sleep.

I lived in the Shiganshina District, along wall Maria, with my family. Life there was peaceful, albeit rather noisy at times.

Sighing, I stretched, taking deep breaths of the fresh air that surrounded me. Time to head back home. I smiled, grabbing the bunch of flowers I had picked earlier, along with the bundles of firewood I was sent out to gather. Humming a random tune, I skipped back to my house, smiling as I gazed at the sky, dyed a soft orange, with pink-tinged clouds complementing the crimson glow of the setting sun.

Little did I know, that day was the last day of my childhood, as the carefree days of innocent laughter were abruptly ripped away from me as mankind's worst enemy reappeared to haunt us.

**A/N: So what do you think? Constructive criticism appreciated ^~^ Thank you :)**


	2. Chapter 1: Humanity's Worst Nightmare

Chapter 1: Humanity's Worst Nightmare

**A/N: So here's the first chapter :) I won't be giving an OC profile... I prefer it this way ^^**

~Estelle's POV~

"Estelle, Armin, Eren and Mikasa were looking for you. Celeste went with them, they said something about going to the town square," my mother called out as I entered the house. Setting down the firewood and placing the flowers in a vase, I nodded brightly and dashed out of the front door, calling a goodbye over my shoulders.

Celeste was my younger sister. She had honey blonde hair and the most endearing azure eyes that were almost impossible to resist. She was bubbly and cheerful, but a tad bit hyperactive and girly, in my opinion. She absolutely adored pink, going so far as to wear it every single day. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister, but sometimes she tends to get... overboard.

"Estelle!" a shout caught my attention. Turning, I saw Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Celeste seated at our usual spot in the town square. Waving, I skipped merrily over, my long black hair swaying gently in the evening breeze. Eren started talking about what lay outside the walls, and how he hoped to see them, while the rest of us listened, enraptured.

Suddenly, there was a huge tremor. Nearly losing my balance, I managed to reach out and steady Celeste and Armin, while Mikasa caught Eren, who had nearly fallen. Rushing towards the gathering crowd, we tried to see what was wrong. Being the shortest of our group, I had to tiptoe to see what they were all staring at. It was the wall, separating the town from the dangers that lay beyond the safety of the wall.

A column of smoke rose from the other side of the wall. I gasped. Something was wrong, very wrong. My senses screamed at me to run, but I remained rooted to the spot, watching as a large hand grabbed the edge of the wall. A Titan's hand.

Then, the wall shattered, sending debris flying everywhere, a small chunk whizzing dangerously close to my head.

Grabbing Celeste's hand, I ran towards our house, screaming at Eren, Mikasa and Armin to run.

By the time we got there, it was too late. Towering over the ruins of our house was a large female titan, digging the barely conscious bodies of my parents out of the rubble. I hid Celeste's face in my chest as I watched, horrified, as our father was torn apart before my very eyes. My mother smiled at me sadly, mouthing a few words to me before she was brutally eaten.

**"We love you, please take care of Celeste for us. Goodbye."**

I stood there, frozen in shock. My parents... they were gone... just like that. Celeste, who by then had figured out what had happened was sobbing uncontrollably.

The titan then turned towards us, its large hand reaching towards Celeste. Shoving her backwards, I screamed at her to run, before turning and facing the titan. My eyes glistening with rage and unshed tears, I felt a surge of power rush through me. My eyes burned, as I glared daggers at the titan, who by then had lifted me up into the air. A scream alerted me to Celeste being caught by its other hand, and was on the verge of being eaten. Her eyes were screwed shut, her face mere inches from its mouth.

_'I can't protect her.' _

_'The titans took everything from me.'_

_'I'll exterminate them all. Each and every one of them.'_

_'They'll pay for everything they did.' _

Suddenly, a sharp pain coursed through my back, the skin tearing for some unknown reason as blood spurted out everywhere. The titan let out an unearthly shriek of pain, and I found myself floating in midair, the hand holding me reduced to a mass of bloody flesh. A pair of wings protruded from my back, the blade-like feathers stained with blood.

Breathing harshly, I wasted no time in freeing my sister, slashing the titan's other hand with my wings, and grabbing her shaking frame as she buried her face in my shirt. The titan let out a loud roar as I swiftly flew behind it, slashing its neck viciously, watching as its body disappeared into vapour. The wings could wait, we had to get to safety and find Eren, Armin and Mikasa.

Flying towards Wall Maria, I was horrified to discover the gaping hole in place of the gate. Gritting my teeth, I flew from rooftop to rooftop, heading towards the boats that would save us from the titans.

Landing on the roof of one of them, I spotted Eren, Mikasa and Armin. My wings retracted, leaving two gaping, bloody holes in my shirt. _How did I even get those wings?_ I wondered, as I lept off the roof, with Celeste in my arms, landing behind them, wrapping a shawl over my shirt to hide the blood and torn fabric.

"Estelle!" Armin's shocked cry greeted me as I set Celeste down, my eyes empty. Eren and Mikasa turned towards me, a similar look in their eyes. I understood instantly, placing a comforting hand on their shoulders as Celeste cried softly, her shoulders trembling as she glanced at the ruins of Shiganshina.

_'I won't let a tragedy like this happen ever again,'_ I vowed inwardly, as a cold, determined look appeared in my eyes. I would no longer be able to live a carefree life, my childhood was destroyed by the horror and destruction I had seen. The least I could do was to preserve the remainder of her childhood.

It was then I made my decision. I would join the Recon Corps, I would exterminate all the titans, to protect what was left of my family.

As the boat drew towards Wall Rose, I stared up at the sky, one eye hidden by a stray lock of hair. Celeste had long since ceased her cries, and had fallen asleep leaning on my shoulder. The others were all asleep as well, the day's events had exhausted them.

I pondered over the blade wings that had sprouted from me earlier. I did not want to attract any unnecessary attention, so I avoided mentioning it to any of them earlier.

_'Sorry, Celeste, Armin, Eren, Mikasa... I'll have to keep this from you, until I find out more about these wings...' _

That day, I lost my family, my home and my childhood. I was not going to lose anything else. As I slowly drifted off to sleep, I thought I could hear my mother's voice whispering a faint **"Thank you...".**

**A/N: So how was it? It's my first time writing this type of fanfiction, so constructive criticism is greatly appreciated :) Thank you~**


	3. Chapter 2: Farewells

Chapter 2: Farewells

~Estelle's POV~

I awoke to the sound of Eren's shouting. Blinking tiredly, I stood up, stretching my tired limbs, and wincing when I remembered what had happened yesterday. My face hardened into an emotionless mask as I surveyed the surroundings. Eren was getting his face stuffed with bread, courtesy of Mikasa, Armin was trying to stop them from fighting and Celeste was busy eating a loaf of stale-looking bread.

As I approached them, Armin hurriedly passed me a piece of bread, which I accepted with a quiet "Thank you." Breaking off half of it, I handed one half to Celeste, who probably needed the energy more than I did.

Heading outside, I carefully navigated through the mass of people, before arriving at a list of names on a noticeboard. My stomach lurched as I grabbed a pen and marked a large red 'X' on my parent's names. Furiously blinking away my tears, I mentally berated myself. How was I going to protect Celeste if I kept crying each time I saw their names?

"Estelle!" a feminine voice called out, as I was pulled into a warm embrace. Keeping my expression blank, I stared into concerned emerald orbs.

"Aunt Minvera..." I spoke, my voice sounding hollow. She scanned the board for a moment, before her eyes filled with tears after seeing my parents' names, and she broke down, grief-stricken sobs escaping her lips.

"I'll take you and Celeste in... You have no where to go..." she said after drying her eyes. Shaking my head, I met her gaze, my silver eyes determined.

"Take Celeste, I'm joining the military," I stated, lifting a hand when I saw her protest, "Whether you like it or not, Aunt Minvera, I'm joining. I've made my choice, and I know the risks and dangers I will face, but I can't let Celeste grow up in this kind of hellhole."

To my surprise, she nodded tearfully, before pulling out an envelope and handing it to me.

"I was told to give this to you if your parents were no longer... here in this world. Be safe, okay?" she whispered, leaning down to hug me one more time. I nodded mutely, not trusting myself to speak.

Grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen from the noticeboard, I hurriedly wrote a note to my sister, explaining my reasons for joining the military. My hand was shaking, and I was on the verge of tears, but I reminded myself of the promise I made the night before.

"Please pass this to Celeste for me, after the military recruit trucks leave," I muttered, slipping the letter into her hands.

_'Goodbye, Aunt Minvera, Celeste. I'll definitely eliminate those titans, and save humanity from this nightmare.'_

Walking back to Celeste and the rest, I quickly explained the situation to them, before leading Celeste to Aunt Minvera.

"So... This is the last time we'll see each other?" Armin asked, his eyes downcast. I smiled sadly.

"Perhaps, but I have a feeling we'll meet again someday. Farewell, Eren, Armin, Mikasa. I hope to see you all again," I answered, as a crying Celeste initiated a group hug.

Waving at them, I gently tugged Celeste's hand, guiding her towards Aunt Minvera.

"I have some things to so, so I'll catch up with you two later," I murmured to her, before pushing her towards my aunt, who glanced knowingly at me. Another pained smile formed on my lips as I headed towards the recruiting officers.

It took a few minutes to complete the necessary paperwork, but soon I found myself cramped in a truck of recruits, clutching a set of uniform. As the trucks began to pull out, I could faintly hear a familiar voice wail my name. Tears welled up in my eyes, as I found my heart breaking along with hers.

_'I have to be strong now. Even if it means letting go of my past.'_

A single teardrop flowed down my cheek, landing on the suit of uniform.

_'Forgive me, Armin, Eren, Mikasa, Celeste...'_

_**A/N: Yay, another chapter done ^~^ Thank you for reading this minna~ your support is appreciated ^^**_


	4. Chapter 3: The Training Begins

Chapter 3: The Training Begins

A/N: It's the third chapter ^^ I would like to thank all of you for your support so far :) I am considering making this fic OC x Levi/Rivaille, and would like your opinions on this, so please drop me a message or comment~

~Estelle's POV~

"Line up, you weaklings!" Instructor Shadis hollered. Falling into line with the rest of the recruits, I saluted the instructor, with my hand over my heart, and my face devoid of all emotion.

He walked towards us, examining our faces, occasionally picking out a few nervous-looking ones to question. By question, I meant yelling in your face and expecting an answer.

I understood immediately. To be a soldier, you had to let go of your past and be prepared to offer your life in the front lines. Ironically, he was breaking their spirit so that they would become stronger.

Passing over me and most of the others in my row, he focused on a teenage boy a row behind me.

"You there! What's your name?" he shouted. The boy tried to stop himself from trembling, but his efforts were in vain. I scoffed inwardly._'I bet he's never seen a real titan before.'_

"R-Rudley Brown, s-sir..." he stammered, attempting to sound brave by puffing out his chest.

"Why have you joined the military?" the instructor bellowed, his eyes staring daggers into the other male's terrified ones.

"T-to serve the king and bring honour to my family..." Rudley answered, sounding decidedly more determined. I shook my head, wrong answer.

Within seconds, he was lifted into the air, as the instructor growled at him, "The King doesn't need weaklings like you. You aren't even good enough to be titan bait." He was then dropped unceremoniously onto the ground as the instructor moved on to the rest of us.

We were made to do basic training exercises, like push-ups and crunches. Climbing most of the trees back in Shiganshina made these exercises easy enough. I was one of the first few to finish, and decided to observe some of the recruits. Ashley was lagging behind, her forehead damp with perspiration as she struggled to finish the crunches.

I turned around, only to find the recruit from earlier, Rudley Brown, glaring at me. Meeting his heated gaze with my emotionless one, we sat there staring at each other until he turned back towards the instructor, looking rather creeped out.

Since it was our first day, we were dismissed for dinner, but not before they assigned us bunkmates and teammates. My bunkmates were a blonde girl by the name of Ashley Johnson, and a redhead, Chantelle Roux. Ashley was rather cheerful, albeit talkative, reminding me of Celeste, while Chantelle was sarcastic, but funny, reminding me of Eren with her violent tendencies. A pang of guilt washer over me. I felt bad for leaving them like that, but it was for their sake... I had to protect them all.

"Your name is Estelle Rose, right?" Ashley asked me. I nodded mutely as I stirred the hot soup in my mess tin.

"Where were you from?" she asked. I froze involuntarily, flashbacks of seeing my parents devoured before my very eyes flooding back to me. Shaking them off, I turned to her, my voice low.

"Shiganshina."

It was like a bomb had been set off, I was instantly bombarded with questions.

"Did you see the titan?"

"How big was it?"

"Is it true that it shattered the wall with just one strike?"

Shrugging them off, I focused on finishing my food, before heading to my bunk. Pulling out the envelope that my aunt had given me, I opened it cautiously, pulling out a letter written in an achingly familiar handwriting.

Dear Estelle,

If you are reading this now, it means that we are no longer able to remain with you in this world. However, there are some things you need to know.

First thing, we'll always love you, no matter what happens. Please take good care of Celeste for us, and know that we're truly sorry for leaving both of you.

Second, you deserve to know this... You were taken in by us when you were five. We found you injured and out cold outside our house, and decided to adopt you. The doctor said that you had amnesia, probably due to trauma. He also said that you were stronger than an average human being, as you were able to walk to our house despite having a broken leg and a shattered kneecap.

Last of all, when we found you, you had wings of blades growing out of your back. They retracted before the doctor had arrived and we did not mention anything to him about them. We believe that you had something to do with a human experiment conducted in Wall Shina. A group of scientists were trying to create the ultimate human weapon, but it was reported that the experiment failed and the entire research facility was destroyed in the process. We do not know any other details, but we hope this information will aid you if you are attempting to recover your memories.

I know you hate jewelry, but this is for you. Forgive us for keeping this from you. We'll always be watching over you and Celeste.

Love you always,  
Mother and Father

Attached to the letter was a heart-shaped silver pendant embossed with roses. Opening the pendant, I saw a picture of my family, along with Mikasa, Eren and Armin, smiling happily. I was busy glomping Eren and putting bunny ears on Mikasa. Said siblings were also putting bunny ears on me, while Armin and Celeste just posed for the camera, with my parents laughing merrily.

Tears filled my eyes as I fastened the pendant around my neck with trembling hands. Part of my mind was reeling at the fact that I had probably been the product of a human experiment, while the other part mourned the loss of my parents.

That night was the last time I cried over my parents. My mind was made up, I would find out more about my past and my wings, and use them to take down the titans.

_'The old me can no longer exist. Tonight, the new me shall be born.'_

A/N: Yay, chapter 3 done :D I hope you like it~


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